The politics of city rats: What urban rodents tell us about housing and sanitation

Rats are on the ballot in Canadian municipal elections this fall, with several political parties promising to tackle city rat problems .

While rats may seem like a niche election issue, they can point to broader societal concerns about housing, public services and civic engagement.

Rats are ubiquitous urban residents that cities have attempted to evict for centuries .

Often portrayed as dirty pests and bringers of plague, they can harbour pathogens that cause illnesses to people and pets , like rat bite fever and leptospirosis .

So why have cities had so little success in reducing rat numbers? Well, rats are synanthropes , species that benefit from living alongside humans, and have adapted remarkably well to our paved, cacophonic and bustling streets.

Cities provide abundant resources for rats to thrive : food scraps are meals; standing water on sidewalks supplies drinking water; and cracks in buildings offer access to shelter.

Municipal policies and bylaws shape how these environments are built and maintained, influencing living conditions for both people and rats.

Thinking about rats through municipal elections can offer a more tangible way to understand how complex it is to manage rats without addressing broader issues.

We reviewed studies from high-income country cities.

Using synthesis and complex systems mapping methods, we examined the social and environmental conditions linked to urban rats, how they influence where people encounter rats across different neighbourhoods and how they impact residents’ ability to respond.

Here are a few of our findings and how they connect to municipal issues, using examples from Vancouver’s upcoming election.

Habitability, affordability and security Our homes are the most intimate spaces where we can encounter rats.

Adequate housing is a human right enshrined under many nations’ laws, including Canada’s .

Housing habitability, affordability and security — components of adequate housing — can impact encounters between residents and rats.